HALIFAX - Line Mountain's offense had been on cruise control for most of the season.
Halifax, despite dressing just 25 players, tried its hardest to act more like a road block than a speed bump in Saturday's Twin Valley Conference matchup, but the Eagles (7-1) were too talented, too fast, just too much in the end in their 49-18 win over the Wildcats.
Line Mountain's Kyle Troutman shouldered most of the load with a 23 carry night and 218 yards, but the Eagles were tested all game by Halifax.
"I didn't get as much time to look to look at them on film as I'd have liked to have," Line Mountain head coach Mike Carson said. "But give them a lot of credit, they really made us work. They have some quick kids that run hard and have a lot of talent. They play physical football, like the old Halifax teams used to.
"I'm not happy that we weren't perhaps as mentally ready as we should have been, but I am happy that we had a game that we had to play four quarters."
The beginning of the game suggested little competition for the Eagles, who scored the first three times they had the ball.
The second and third touchdowns were set up by outstanding punt returns by Dylan Michael, the first to the 17 was capped by a Marty Beninsky three-yard run, while the second was 17 yards to the Halifax 40. Beninsky scored from 29 yards out on that drive.
Halifax's first touchdown was set up by Troy Potteiger's pick of Beninsky, who threw two interceptions and was blitzed for much of the evening.
The Wildcats' first scoring drive chewed up 68 yards on eight plays, and Halifax was able to mix the run and pass to great effect. On the drive, Halifax's Robert Moretz was 4 for 4 for 39 yards and added a 24-yard run to the one to set up a one-yard plunge by Allan Kaufman.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats recovered an onside kick, but failed to convert before time ran out in the half.
Since the Wildcats deferred, they received the ball to begin the second half, but any momentum was lost when Michael stepped in front of a Moretz pass and Line Mountain started at its own 45.
Troutman rumbled 27 yards for the first of his touchdowns, but Halifax came right back with a six play, 67-yard drive.
Cody Enders scored from 11 yards out, and Moretz was 2 for 2 on the drive.
Troutman and Beninsky each ran in for touchdowns as the Eagles lead swelled to 42-12.
Undeterred, Halifax completed an 81-yard screen pass for a touchdown, the rest of Moretz's passes tested the Eagles' secondary, which had given up only 478 yards through the air all season.
Line Mountain hosts East Juniata on Friday.